This colourful and flavoursome curry is a great way to start cooking with tofu. It's also full of carotenoids – important antioxidants for growth and development, immune system function and vision.
- L/D Lunch/Dinner
- DF Dairy free
- GF Gluten free
- Ve Vegan
- VG Vegetarian
- HH Heart-healthy
- MP Menopause
- Prep time 20 mins
- Cook Time 80 mins
- Serves 2
- Difficulty medium
Method
- Chop pumpkin and tofu into 2-3cm cubes (larger pieces will take longer to cook).
- Add garlic and toss gently in a large bowl with olive oil so as not to break up the tofu. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake in a preheated hot oven at 180-200°C, shaking 2-3 times, for one hour.
- Toss the cashews in the oil from the tofu and pumpkin that remain in the bowl. Add to the pumpkin and tofu after 40 minutes.
- In a wok, warm the curry paste and coconut milk.
- Add baked ingredients and stir occasionally until the pumpkin 'mashes' into a sauce with the coconut milk.
- Taste and add more curry paste if needed. Add the baby spinach to wilt in wok and serve on brown rice topped with coriander.
This video is captioned
Nutritional information
By Jean Hailes naturopath and herbalist Sandra Villella
Tofu is an excellent source of phytoestrogens (plant oestrogens) and a good source of complete vegetable protein. The soy protein in tofu may help to lower LDL ('bad' cholesterol).
Pumpkin and spinach are excellent sources of carotenoids, the pigments responsible for the yellow, orange and red colours in plants. Carotenoids are important antioxidants and those found in pumpkin can be converted to vitamin A.
Roasting pumpkin with olive oil not only makes it tastier, but also improves the absorption of the carotenoids, because digesting the carotenoids requires some fat in the meal.
You can reduce the total fat content of the meal by using low-fat coconut milk, as the pumpkin creates a lovely thick texture to the curry.
